J.P. Karwacki
JP Karwacki is the managing editor of The Main. His work has previously appeared in Time Magazine, the Montreal Gazette, Time Out, NUVO, and more.
Montreal, Quebec
Website
From free street festivals to $1,000-a-ticket blowouts, here's where the city comes alive during race week.
From West Island newcomers to decades-old institutions, here's where to take mom out for a good time on May 10, 2026.
On terrasses, vintage shops, horny summer vibes, and drinking beer under the Van Horne bridge.
From Pointe-Claire to Parc La Fontaine, here's where the Mile End Kicks actor eats, drinks, and goes to stay grounded.
![The Best New Cafés in Montreal [April 2026]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F2edxk5v7%2Fproduction%2Fdc1fb68d70932313a1b633ab8abc651d2b8fbcaf-1080x1350.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
Freshly baked cakes, vegan donuts, matcha, coworking destinations, and more.
![The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [May 2026]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F2edxk5v7%2Fproduction%2F599b440fae2162a5a76c94fd76f31d7daed6a76c-1080x808.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
Pizza omakase and caviar add-ons, classic Italian comforts, and Bouillon Bilk alumni hit the ground running in the Mile End.
![The Best New Bars in Montreal [April 2026]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F2edxk5v7%2Fproduction%2Ff3a17cf3bb6b2cdc67ecf4d687685e484cc86a91-1440x960.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
A swish take on the classic pub, an 'old Vegas' dive, a sports bar for women's sports, and more.
Discussing 15 years of anonymity, personal pain, and guerrilla positivity with MAKENOIZE.
Some of the greatest creative decisions from Dime MTL's artistic director? Refusing to leave Montreal, and betting on joy.
Step inside Byron and Dexter Peart's world of goods vetted for design excellence, craftsmanship, and positive social and environmental impacts—all in 1,000 square feet.
This swish take on the 'bar ludique' creates a new recreational hub inside the Montreal Forum.
How a 15-year promise between friends at a bar transformed into a social sanctuary where trivia nights sell out, the pizza's hot, the beer's cold, and everyone's welcome.
Nathan Gawalko left high-end restaurants across the world to bottle ancient traditions of fish, salt, and time on British Columbia's coast.
Fine French cuisine, tableside photo sessions with piglets, and a botched robbery that marked the beginning of an end.
Putting the city's code-switching culture on record, one episode's sparked more honest conversation about Quebec identity than most news panels can manage in a season.
Half on stage, half in the crowd: Documenting communities at a crossroads.
When Montreal veterans end up with the keys to a local legend of the region they call home.
As bars struggle and alcohol sales drop, cafés are stepping in to redefine how Montrealers socialize.
Over forty years of transforming festivals, celebrations, and streetscapes into theatre.
From greasy spoon classics to elegant all-day affairs—where to eat when the weekend calls.
Our guide to the best on offer in Montreal, from cocktail dens to wine bars to our favourite dives.
From boundary-pushing tasting menus to perfected single plates—this is where to eat when it matters.
From spots to work and places to print to undercelebrated artistic curios, few people are better to offer a guide to Montreal from an illustrator’s perspective than this enigmatic artist.
